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| Plot Summary of The Last Witnesss |
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"The Last Witness
St. Martin's, May 2003, 24.95, 352 pp.
ISBN 031231468X
Marshall “Mars” Bahr and his partner Nettie Frisch are leaving the Homicide Division of the Minneapolis Police Department to work the BCA's cold case unit. However, before they leave they try to solve one last case. Teri DuCain Jackson was found dead in her Lake of the Isles home. Her parents discovered the body. Afterward the father suffered a heart attack and died. His wife is sure that her son-in-law, a wife beater, killed her daughter, but Tayron “T-Jack” Jackmon of the Minnesota Timberwolves has a perfect alibi.
He was with his in-laws, their lawyer and his attorney negotiating a settlement that would give him a hundred million dollars if he allowed Teri to divorce him. T-Jack couldn't have killed her because Teri spoke to them moments before her death. Mars thinks that T-Jack hired a hitman to kill his wife but they lack the one crucial piece of evidence that would allow them to arrest the suspect. Mars comes up with a possible way to nail T-Jack and save a life but to do so will force him to put his badge on the line.
K.J. Erickson writes an exciting police procedural that maintains reader interest from the first page to last. Although there is some surface resemblance to the Simpson scenario, in THE LAST WITNESS the police are not prejudiced and maintain a professional manner. Through his son readers see that Mars is a caring person who plays by the rules even when it cost him custody. One can't help but admire him and wish that more people had such a strong moral code. This is a “two-thumbs up” reading experience.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Last Witnesss |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- searching for missing person
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 5-7
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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